A useful RA tool from personal experience....

[citihound]

I have to say that one of the best tools I have come across in the search for successful management of my  RA is .....Ginger Cheesecake.. It has untold benefits. You can gently exercise those hands and elbows at your own pace with a spot of chopping and light beating if you want ( stem ginger is nice and soft to get you going, if you manually chop the fresh ginger  it gives you quite a decent workout and the serious athletes amongst you can bash the  ginger nuts  to smithereens with a rolling pin -put them in a plastic bag first otherwise disaster) Very therapeutic and good for anger management.

For maximum benefit take with a side helping of methotrexate -at least 10mgs. Creme Fraiche and or cream also good.

Naturally there is also the option to go the food processing /mini chopper route outlined below if you are feeling a tad fragile.

   

Recipe and top tips

500g/1lb Cream cheese and 250g/8oz Marscapone  - take out of fridge and leave out till very soft.. I put it in the sun if poss.

Oven on 180C /350F/Gas 4

Stick 8oz/240g ginger nuts in food processor,crumb them up.

Add 4oz/125g melted butter,mix together gently press into 9inch /24cm springform tin (please don't bother lining or buttering)

Stick in oven for 10 mins then take out and put whole tin on rack until cool.

Turn down oven 150C/300f 

Mix together Marscapone with cream cheese add 3/4 cup of sugar, two big beaten eggs, 8 pieces of stem ginger in syrup chopped and a 2 inch square of fresh ginger, chopped or grated (I use one of those mini choppers). You can also mix everything with the paddle on the food processor but be careful not to curdle,,

Put saucer of warm water in oven to stop it cracking and cook for 30-40 Mins (should be set with a slight wobble in the middle-that keeps cooking after you take it out) 

Run a knife round the outside to stop it splitting- as soon as you take it out. Cool, put in fridge for 4 hours. 

Eat, enjoy, relax.

[sylvi]

what more can you say but mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!! sylvi

[LavendarLady]

Hi I also suggest a glass of champagne whilst you are bashing the biscuits!

Is it the saucer or the oven we should stop from cracking? lol.

I made Barm Brack at the weekend - recipe said half a pint of whisky!! I would be rolling down the kitchen whilst tasting so compromised on quarter of a pint.

LavendarLady x

[citihound in reply to LavendarLady]

Good point, just checking you are paying attention tee hee... The cheesecake. Love the champagne idea. Also excuse my ignorance Barm Brack? CItihound.

[LavendarLady]

Barm Brack is an Irish Tea Bread - made by soaking fruit in tea and whisky overnight with sugar, and then adding flour and eggs the next day. After a couple of hours in the oven, it turns out smelling delicious and lovely and sticky. It also freezes well too. It is supposed to have a honey glaze on it but it is sticky enough already. LavendarLady x

[citihound in reply to LavendarLady]

On the recipe list - may go for the pint! many thx for the explanation...

[Hidden]

lovely recipw and a great blog thank you xx

[Hidden]

LOL - love the sense of humour but sorry hate ginger

xx

[cathie]

Barbarith is a welsh variant, I've never had whisky in it, but have added different fruit. Chopped dates, cherries and crystallised ginger work well. It's good for people with diabetes who need slow processing sugars.